BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - One the longest standing Division III men's basketball rivalries will be renewed Wednesday night, Jan. 11, as the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team hosts Millikin University in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin action. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.
The Titans are level on the season at 6-6 overall and sit one game out of first-place in the CCIW standings at 3-2. IWU eyes a bounce back Wednesday night, most recently dropping games to Washington University in St. Louis (63-61) and Carthage College (69-48). Millikin makes the short trip to Bloomington with an 8-7 overall record. The Big Blue saw a 4-0 start to the year, but CCIW play has caused Millikin fits. MU is 1-5 in league play and has dropped back-to-back home games to Elmhurst University (70-59) and 12th-ranked Wheaton College (65-61).
Fans can tune into the game via live stats, live stream, or radio broadcast. Links on how to follow along can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.
LONG-STANDING RIVALRY: IWU and Millikin have met on 236 occasions, with the first match-up held in the 1909-10 season. The 236 total contests rank second in Division III men's basketball in most-played rivalries. The Titans hold a 158-78 advantage against the Big Blue all-time, including winning the past 21 meetings and 29 of the last 31.
A short-handed IWU squad overpowered MU, 78-67, in Bloomington, Jan. 12. The Titans then used a Matthew Leritz buzzer beater to escape Decatur with a 51-49 triumph.
BALANCED BOX SCORE: Illinois Wesleyan has been at its best when the scoring has been balanced this season. In fact, IWU is 6-3 when three-or-more players score 10+ points, while the Titans are 0-3 when fewer than three players hit double figures.
NO NEED FOR WINDEX: Illinois Wesleyan has been dominant on the glass this season, out-rebounding its opponents 489 to 389. The strong effort on the glass has IWU holding a +8.2 rebounding margin on the season, the 21st-best in all of Division III. Senior Cody Mitchell leads the Green and White with 8.8 boards per contest. Ryan Sroka and Hakim Williams' 4.7 rebounds per game are good for second-best on the team. Harrison Wilmsen and Marko Anderson pull in 4.4 each, while Nick Roper averaged 4.0 per game before injury. Evan Schneider tallies 3.2 rebounds per outing, with Lucas Heflen adding 3.1 per game.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Titans remain at home this Saturday to enjoy one of the greatest athletic venues in NCAA Division III. The Shirk Center has been home to more than 650 Titan basketball games between both the men and women. The men hold a 295-62 record on their home floor, good for a .826 win percentage.
ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan remains home this weekend, Jan. 14, for a double feature against Augustana College. The Titans will take on the Vikings at 4:15 p.m. following the IWU women's basketball team's bout with Augie.
IWU will welcome back a pair of Titan greats Saturday in Lon Erickson (football) and Rob Wuethrich (men's golf). Erickson will be recognized pregame, while Wuethrich will be honored at halftime of the men's game.
Erickson, a three-year starting quarterback for the Titans in the mid-1990's, was the recipient of the 1996 Gagliardi Trophy as Division III's most outstanding player. He set countless school records and was a three-time All-CCIW selection. Erickson was voted the 1996 CCIW MVP and earned First Team Academic All-American status.
Wuethrich, who just wrapped up a sensational collegiate career in 2021, is one of the most decorated players in program history. In addition to leading IWU to back-to-back Division III National Championships, Wuethrich was named the Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year (2020), the Phil Mickelson National Freshman of the Year (2018), a two-time Academic All-America selection, and was a two-time member of the GCAA All-Nicklaus Team. He holds numerous program records, including career wins (9), which is also a CCIW record.
